Alhaji Mohammad Sanusi II, the emir of Kano, has said late Yusuf Bala Usman made him a radical emir, Daily Trust reports.
Speaking on Friday, December 18, in Kaduna at the 10th anniversary memorial seminar in honour of late Yusuf Bala Usman organised by the Centre for Democratic Development and Research Training, Sanusi said he graduated from the late Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman’s school of progressive struggle to become a teacher, banker and now a radical emir.
According to the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, the message Bala left is a message that all should take home.
READ ALSO: Sanusi Warns Against Insulting Of Holy Prophet
He said: “We spend so many decades fighting a system, and every time we think we have defeated one system, the next one seems to be even worse and it is like an uphill task. If you look at what we were fighting in the 1970’s and 1980’s against the NPN, and compare the NPN with what came after that, the NPN will look like an angel.
“So, we are at a point in this country where we actually have to reverse this trend. For us that were in ABU in the 70’s, we were inspired or taught by the late Bala. He was an undisputed leader of Northern progressives.
“Most of us graduated to become radical teachers, radical professors, radical bankers and radical emirs, but we never left the essential message of Bala and it is a message that all of us should take home.
“In life, if you are at all committed to struggle, struggle only has meaning if it is against injustice and oppression. Any other struggle is meaningless.
“Fighting for ethnicity, starting needless and mindless religious wars, struggle for spores of power, none of those are worth it.
“People are dying every day from lack of education, from lack healthcare, lack of security, bad governance, corruption, bad economic policies and the real struggle that is meaningful in our lives is to try to improve that situation and fight against those injustices.
“It has been my misfortune to be always mis-categorised in government, but I am not a card bearing member of any political party. But I have friends who shared the same vision of Bala Usman and that is what brought us together.
“I pray that this seminar will continue the tradition of cultivating minds and setting mindsets, programmes and hopefully, those minds will be integral to the change that we want, the removal of oppression and injustice and the creation of a better society which was the dream of the late Bala Usman.”
Also speaking at the event, Governor of Aminu Masari of Katsina state, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the late Yusuf Bala Usman remains a symbol of struggle.
Masari said: “Bala dedicated his life to the improvement of the lives of the less fortunate, and because of the views he held when he was alive, he is still not forgotten 10 years after his death.”
While the Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, described the late Bala Usman as a visionary who inspired anyone who studied at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna state.
READ ALSO: Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky’s Fate Is Still Unknown
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos state, delivered the key note address at the 10th anniversary remembrance lecture of late Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman at the Arewa House in Kaduna state.
The Emir of Kano Sanusi, Governor El-Rufai, and a large number of northern intellectuals, graced the occasion.
Late Dr Yusufu Bala Usman, who lived his life teaching, struggling for justice and learning history, died in 2005 at age of 60.
Speaking on Friday, December 18, in Kaduna at the 10th anniversary memorial seminar in honour of late Yusuf Bala Usman organised by the Centre for Democratic Development and Research Training, Sanusi said he graduated from the late Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman’s school of progressive struggle to become a teacher, banker and now a radical emir.
According to the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, the message Bala left is a message that all should take home.
Alhaji Mohammad Sanusi II, the emir of Kano says late Yusuf Bala Usman made him a radical emir.
He said: “We spend so many decades fighting a system, and every time we think we have defeated one system, the next one seems to be even worse and it is like an uphill task. If you look at what we were fighting in the 1970’s and 1980’s against the NPN, and compare the NPN with what came after that, the NPN will look like an angel.
“So, we are at a point in this country where we actually have to reverse this trend. For us that were in ABU in the 70’s, we were inspired or taught by the late Bala. He was an undisputed leader of Northern progressives.
“Most of us graduated to become radical teachers, radical professors, radical bankers and radical emirs, but we never left the essential message of Bala and it is a message that all of us should take home.
“In life, if you are at all committed to struggle, struggle only has meaning if it is against injustice and oppression. Any other struggle is meaningless.
“Fighting for ethnicity, starting needless and mindless religious wars, struggle for spores of power, none of those are worth it.
“People are dying every day from lack of education, from lack healthcare, lack of security, bad governance, corruption, bad economic policies and the real struggle that is meaningful in our lives is to try to improve that situation and fight against those injustices.
“It has been my misfortune to be always mis-categorised in government, but I am not a card bearing member of any political party. But I have friends who shared the same vision of Bala Usman and that is what brought us together.
“I pray that this seminar will continue the tradition of cultivating minds and setting mindsets, programmes and hopefully, those minds will be integral to the change that we want, the removal of oppression and injustice and the creation of a better society which was the dream of the late Bala Usman.”
Also speaking at the event, Governor of Aminu Masari of Katsina state, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the late Yusuf Bala Usman remains a symbol of struggle.
Masari said: “Bala dedicated his life to the improvement of the lives of the less fortunate, and because of the views he held when he was alive, he is still not forgotten 10 years after his death.”
While the Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, described the late Bala Usman as a visionary who inspired anyone who studied at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna state.
READ ALSO: Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky’s Fate Is Still Unknown
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos state, delivered the key note address at the 10th anniversary remembrance lecture of late Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman at the Arewa House in Kaduna state.
The Emir of Kano Sanusi, Governor El-Rufai, and a large number of northern intellectuals, graced the occasion.
Late Dr Yusufu Bala Usman, who lived his life teaching, struggling for justice and learning history, died in 2005 at age of 60.
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